Beijing -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A goodwill basketball game between a U.S. college and a Chinese military team turned into an ugly brawl , leaving a black-eye on sports diplomacy .

The game between the Georgetown team , which is in on a trip to China , and the Bayi Rockets escalated into an on-court fracas Thursday .

With about 10 minutes left into the exhibition game and the score tied at 64 , players exchanged blows , triggering a bench-clearing melee .

Match organizers failed to keep order on the court . Irate Chinese spectators hurled plastic bottles onto the court as the Georgetown players headed for the locker room .

The American collegiate team is on a 10-day trip as part of a program to promote goodwill through sports .

The goodwill match coincided with Vice President Joe Biden 's official visit to China .

A day earlier , Biden watched another exhibition game between the Hoyas and another Chinese team . Few mainstream Chinese media reported the Thursday fracas .

The brawl forced the game to end early , Chinese newspaper Yangzi Evening News reported . It was `` very physical from the beginning '' and the situation deteriorated , says the report .

`` All substitute players from both teams got involved after the brawl broke out . ''

An amateur video on YouTube shows a Chinese player pushing a U.S. player to the ground and punching him repeatedly . CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the video .

The Bayi Rockets is an army team that plays in the China Basketball Association , the local professional league . Most of their players serve in the People 's Liberation Army .

CNN could not reach the Bayi Rockets for comment , but Georgetown head coach John Thompson III expressed his regrets .

`` Tonight , two great teams played a very competitive game that unfortunately ended after heated exchanges with both teams , '' Thompson said . `` We sincerely regret that this situation occurred . ''

The brawl drew comments on Chinese social media , with links to video posted on Chinese websites . However , some of the video postings have been deleted without explanation .

Many comments criticize Bayi Rocket players . '' -LRB- The players ' -RRB- Basketball skills are not very hot but their temper is hot , '' says @alesfu on Tencent Weibo , China 's second-largest social media .

@Chinanoe writes : `` Most of sportsmen have muscular limbs with simple mind . ''

For decades , Chinese sports promoted the slogan `` friendship first , competition second . ''

In recent years , however , competition for prizes , honor and fame have sometimes trumped sportsmanship .

Violence and brawls have erupted in some team sports like basketball and soccer games .

In October , an exhibition match between China and Brazil national teams ended in a bench-clearing fistfight .

The next day , the Chinese national federation apologized to Brazil . China 's head coach , Bob Donewald , an American , along with three players and three match officials were suspended for a few games by the Federation of International Basketball Association .

@highlight

The brawl starts about 10 minutes left into the exhibition game

@highlight

Irate Chinese spectators hurl plastic bottles onto the court

@highlight

Georgetown players head for the locker room